


Caution

by cabinet_man



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Drabble, F/M, Lowercase, M/M, Minor Character Death, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2020-02-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:22:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22782463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cabinet_man/pseuds/cabinet_man
Summary: Ashfur's never trusted Brambleclaw, not really.
Relationships: Ashfur/Hawkfrost (Warriors), Brambleclaw/Squirrelflight (Warriors)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 47





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> originally posted on tumblr as a response to an anonymous ask:
> 
> "AU where Ashfur is squirrelflights really protective friend and doesn't trust Brambleclaw at all, Ashfur also is in a forbidden relationship with hawkfrost"

when brambleclaw first came into the picture, ashfur wasn’t sure how he felt about the tom. squirrelflight was growing closer and closer to him, but something didn’t seem quite right with it all.

brambleclaw looked so much like him- his father, tigerstar. and he knew what tigerstar was like.

ashfur remembered everything that tigerstar had done - and he’d never forget how his mother had looked, splayed out in the middle of the clearing, her guts spilling from her stomach and eyes dull and wide. tigerstar murdered his mother. he feared for squirrelflight’s safety now that she was associating with the murderer’s biological son who looked almost identical to him.

ashfur saw tigerstar in brambleclaw everytime he looked at him. the amber eyes, the brown pelt and the dark tabby markings… his fur was wild and stuck up on the back of his neck, and there was the slightest nick in his ear.

his tigerstar-related trauma was especially noticeable when ashfur caught the warrior in the middle of a meal. blood dripped down the tabby’s muzzle, and his claws were long as he tore into whatever rodent he chose that day. ashfur had to retreat from camp during those times, and found himself emptying the contents of his stomach just a fox-length away from the thunderclan camp entrance.

“stay away from him,” ashfur had once said to squirrelflight.

“why?” squirrelflight responded in a heartbeat. she felt suspicion boil inside of her.

“he’s not trustworthy,” he explained. “he reminds me of his father.”

squirrelflight had a low growl rumbling up in her throat at whatever ashfur had just implied. brambleclaw was nothing like tigerstar!

“you have no right to judge him, ashfur!” she hissed at him, glaring daggers at the speckled tom. “you’re kin with thistleclaw - should i compare you to him?”

ashfur took a step back.

“i don’t want to see you get hurt,” he replied, rather hurt that squirrelflight would not hear his pleas. “tigerstar acted kind to us until he tried to murder bluestar. what if he does the same to firestar? or you?”

squirrelflight wasn’t listening, though. her focus was on the broad-shouldered tabby tom who stood on the other side of the clearing, chatting up a storm with sandstorm.

ashfur followed her gaze, and then excused himself from camp. squirrelflight didn’t bid him farewell.

he cornered brambleclaw the next day, although he felt very shaky on his paws.

“are you okay, ashfur?” the warrior meowed. starclan, he even sounded like tigerstar.

“i- i want you t-to stay away from her,” ashfur stammered, his eyes widening with fear as he stared into those bold amber eyes. he felt sick. he needed to get out of here. why did he ever think this would be a good idea?

“what are you talking about?”

“just stay away from her!” ashfur spat out in a fit of confusion, then shoved past brambleclaw and left the camp.

ashfur didn’t stop running until he reached the river. it was highly active today; salmon jumped with the waves as they headed further downstream. but his eyes were focused on the one that was hanging from a white jaw. ashfur’s heart began to race as his own blue eyes connected with the stranger’s.

“come here often?” the tom purred, and stepped onto the sand. his fur was soaked and the musk of riverclan surrounded him.

“more than i’d like to admit,” ashfur mumbled. his fur felt hot.

“something bothering you?”

“no, i just… i need a minute. i’m kind of having a panic attack,” ashfur said, chuckling a little bit. that wasn’t funny. none of this was funny.

the riverclan cat (ashfur could only assume that’s what clan he was from) guided him towards the water’s edge.

“nothing helps calm me down more than catching some fish,” the tom said. “let me teach you how.”

so that’s what he did, and by the end of it, the taste of salmon was fresh in ashfur’s mind. maybe it wasn’t so bad, after all.

“i never caught your name,” ashfur suddenly said as they shared the fish.

“it’s hawkfrost,” said the tom. “and you are..?”

“ashfur. that’s my name,” he replied, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed.

hawkfrost nuzzled him, though, and the feeling multiplied by a million. “that’s a nice name.”

“i like yours, too,” ashfur said, finally getting comfortable. but then he shot up. “i left her alone with him.”

“left who alone with who?” hawkfrost inquired with a tilt of his head.

but ashfur was already running back to camp, much faster than his legs have ever carried him before. he’d see hawkfrost again soon. he had every intention of doing so.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wasn't expecting to add a chapter 2 but here we are

squirrelflight had ultimately decided to cut ashfur out of her life after brambleclaw expressed the discomfort he felt during ashfur’s attempt at confrontation. well, if that could even count as confrontation.

ashfur sat in the corner of the thunderclan camp, staring down at his untouched sparrow as his mind replayed the scene over and over and over again in his head.

squirrelflight had furiously approached ashfur when he returned to camp - the same day he had met hawkfrost. she scolded him in front of half of the clan, and he walked away in shame after she said that she never wanted to see his face again.

“brambleclaw has never done anything to you!” squirrelflight spat at ashfur, who was recoiling. he didn’t like yelling very much. “all he’s ever been is kind to you! he isn’t hurting anyone by being friends with me!”

“but-” the speckled tom began to say, but squirrelflight shook her head. her green eyes were blazing.

“you can’t dictate my life, ashfur,” she responded. “i don’t want to ever see you again.”

brambleclaw and squirrelflight were sitting on the other end of camp, ashfur noticed after deciding to glance up from his uneaten prey. they were talking and laughing and yet brambleclaw still terrified ashfur to absolutely no end. it had been an entire two moons since their spat, but those words echoed around in his head every single day: “i don’t want to ever see you again.”

brambleclaw made eye contact with him, and ashfur felt himself grow rigid. he said something to squirrelflight before standing up and deciding to make his way over to the grey tom.

ashfur’s heart began to beat faster and faster in his chest as heavy paws made their way towards him. but just before brambleclaw was able to utter a word, ashfur scrambled to his feet and dove into the thicket that served as a barrier to the camp. sharp jaggers scratched at his skin, but he ignored them and pressed on. all he could focus on was getting out of there.

his sprint slowed to a trot as he reached the river that winded through the forest. he and hawkfrost had been meeting here everyday ever since their first meeting two moons ago.

now that ashfur thought about it more, hawkfrost seemed to lurk around thunderclan territory more than anywhere else. even when he saw him at the gathering that first moon, he’d been sitting awfully close to some of the thunderclan cats. him and brambleclaw seemed to get along well, and ashfur had to hold himself back from scaring hawkfrost away like he had done with squirrelflight.

and just like ashfur had predicted, hawkfrost was standing in the stream, although this time he wasn’t pawing at any fish that made the mistake of swimming past him.

“you’re here earlier than usual,” hawkfrost said, somehow knowing that it was ashfur who was standing there despite never once turning his head to look.

“um, yeah,” said ashfur. “i needed air.”

hawkfrost only nodded, and then turned to face the thunderclan warrior. had hawkfrost always had mismatched eyes?

the gold-amber eye glinted brightly in the sunlight as they made eye contact, and hawkfrost began to walk over to where ashfur was standing.

“i want to make you an offer,” hawkfrost purred fondly. “we’ve been seeing each other for a moon now, and i don’t want you to get wet paws further down the road.”

this piqued ashfur’s interest.

“what kind of offer?” he asked, closing an eye as hawkfrost affectionately ran his tongue up the other tom’s cheek.

“my father has seen potential in you, ashfur,” hawkfrost responded. “he believes you’d make an excellent addition to the team.”

curiosity sprouted inside ashfur’s head. hawkfrost’s father? ashfur’s heard few stories of him, but would he finally get the chance to meet him now? his mate had spoken so highly of him, but kept the name hidden in the hopes of revealing just who this great tom was who restored order to riverclan all those moons ago. he must have been fairly old by now.

“really?” ashfur asked, feeling all giddy with excitement.

“indeed,” responded hawkfrost, licking ashfur’s cheek again. “he’s waited a long time to meet you.”

ashfur’s heart rate increased. “is he here with you?”

hawkfrost could only nod, and then a low rumble sounded out from behind him.

ashfur turned to see where the noise was coming from, but his eyes grew wide as they fell on the shadowy form of tigerstar as he emerged from the shadows. he began to shake, suddenly feeling so small.

tigerstar’s guts dragged along the ground, painting the sand with dark blood and reminding ashfur of the brutal death he was given. he deserved it. he deserved to die in such a painful way for everything he’d done.

memories flashed in ashfur’s mind, becoming quicker and quicker as he began to shake even harder. his breathing was becoming uneven and ragged and he had to get out of there right now, but he couldn’t. his paws were stuck to the ground and no matter how much he wanted to get away, he just couldn’t seem to move. his blue eyes made direct eye contact with the glowing slits of amber that took the place of pupils in the center of tigerstar’s hollow eye sockets.

hawkfrost seemed to notice ashfur’s panic, and reached out to comfort the tom, only to receive the stinging sensation of claws raking across his face. tigerstar stopped in his tracks and loomed over the speckled tom, and ashfur was frozen in terror so great that the only thing he could think was: i’m going to die.

“tigerstar,” ashfur said, trembling. “father…”

his mind was slowly putting the pieces together, but those two words were rattling inside of ashfur’s head just like squirrelflight’s sentence had done earlier that day.

“you’re not backing out, are you?” hawkfrost asked, although he wasn’t sure how he should be feeling right now. maybe he felt uneasy about how ashfur was reacting towards tigerstar. he never saw a cat so terrified before.

“get away from me,” ashfur’s voice was so unsteady and sounded so very broken. his ears were pinned directly to his head and his tail was in between his legs, which were shaking so badly that it was astonishing that he hadn’t collapsed yet. “not again, no no no get back get away!”

ashfur’s pupils were nothing but slits - hawkfrost could barely tell that he had them, though. the thunderclan warrior took a step backwards, his breathing coming out more rapidly as he turned and booked it back to camp.

the adrenaline rush was the only thing keeping him going as he burst in through the bramble thicket. everyone’s eyes fell on ashfur as his breathing grew heavier. he looked around wildly, but couldn’t focus on anything. his head was spinning and his legs were still shaking, and everyone’s voices were blending together and mixing in with the sound of nature- he wasn’t sure what was real and what was fake.

he crashed to the ground and his vision began to go black. the last thing he saw before he lost consciousness was squirrelflight abandoning brambleclaw and rushing towards him instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ashfur-anon.tumblr.com

**Author's Note:**

> ashfur-anon.tumblr.com


End file.
